he's just Edward. A baronet now, as his father passed a little over a year ago. And mama thinks he's quite a catch, but he's..." Her voice trailed away, and the girl shrugged. She just shrugged and looked helpless. But that didn't help Gwen at all!
"He's what? Insane? Deformed? Prone to gambling or drink?"
"No, no!" cried Debra as if she were half horrified and half about to descend into giggles. "He's none of that. And that's just the thing. He's about as interesting as a boulder. I've known him since I was two. I'm friends with his sister who isn't old enough to be out yet. But now that he's a baronet and all that, his mother thought he should come look for a wife and my mama thought I needed a friend because I'm... I'm..."
"Because you're a little shy. But everyone is in a strange city when you're put out on display as we are. Everyone gets shy."
Debra beamed her gratitude at Gwen, but she didn't stop talking about Edward. Thankfully. Otherwise, Gwen would have had to find a way to pump her for more information.
"Well, I'm a bit worse than a little shy, but never mind. So he came up to the city with me and his mama and sister, even though Connie's not out yet. And I'm to find a husband and he's to find a wife."
"But not to each other."
The girl actually shuddered at the thought. "He kissed me once. Underneath the mistletoe. I think it was a trick by my mother because Mama thinks he's a catch."
"And how was it?"
"It wasn't a kiss at all!" huffed Debra. "It was a buss on the cheek. Mama was horribly disappointed, but I was ever so grateful. He's just so tall and so very Edward ."
Debra spoke as if that answered everything, which it absolutely did not. Especially since Gwen found the idea of tall as rather intriguing, assuming other parts of his anatomy were equally tall . And as for him being Edward, well what else would he be except for himself?
"I'm afraid," Gwen said slowly, "that I need to understand this better. I think I should like to further my acquaintance with you, if you would like."
"Oh yes! Most certainly!"
"And since we are to be friends, it is only natural that I come to understand what a horrible thing it is to be an Edward."
Debra waved her hands. "It's not horrible at all. It's just him. And I don't wish to marry him ."
Did the girl protest too much? Did she really want Edward but was trying to convince herself otherwise? Gwen couldn't tell, but she was determined to find out. And in the meantime, she decided to learn more things of what Debra did want in a man. If nothing else, she would learn what Edward was not . Or so went the rather tortured logic in her brain.
"Come, come," said Gwen as a pair of new ladies entered the retiring room. "Tell me what it is you are looking for in a husband. Perhaps I can assist you in that matter. After all, I know a great deal about everyone in the ton ."
Debra's eyes widened in awe. "You would do that for me?"
"Of course I would," she said. "But you must be specific. What is it that you would like?"
Debra frowned as she thought deeply. Her brow furrowed and she twisted her fingers together. Then finally she looked up with an expression of satisfaction.
"You have it?" Gwen asked. "You know what you want in a husband?"
"I do," the girl pronounced. "My husband must absolutely not be tall." That was it. Apparently, a drunk lecher would be perfectly acceptable so long as he did not tower over the girl.
"Short? You wish someone short?"
"Yes. And it would be quite lovely if he had a sister."
"Well," said Gwen as she began mentally tallying gentlemen with sisters. "That leaves us with quite a long list. Perhaps we should discuss this further."
So they did. For quite a while, in fact. Enough time for Debra's clean gown to arrive and for her to change into it. In fact, by the time the two women emerged from the drawing room, there were precious few gentlemen left from Gwen's earlier entourage. Indeed, the only one who had truly waited was Baronet Edward